


Leave a Light On For Me

by RainyMeadows



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:27:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26477194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainyMeadows/pseuds/RainyMeadows
Summary: Claire gets home from work and finds that her darling just couldn't wait for her any longer.
Relationships: Claire/Hershel Layton
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	Leave a Light On For Me

Claire breathed out an exhausted sigh of relief as she locked the door behind her.

“I’m home!” she called over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I took so long!”

She removed her bag and unbuttoned her jacket as she walked through their house and into the kitchen.

“We had some important tests to run on the machine,” she explained, and she deposited her jacket and bag on the table. “I would have come back sooner, but Dimitri was driving me around the bend with all of his constant checking and double checking and making sure all the wires were in order and…”

She trailed off.

It had only just hit her that the entire house was silent. Aside from the whirr of the fridge and the occasional car driving past outside, there was no sound whatsoever.

No indication at all that another person was in the building.

“Hershel?” she called. “Are you here?”

She walked back into the hallway and looked around. His black coat was still hung on its hook beside the front door, so he most likely hadn’t gone out while she was absent, but if that was the case, where was he?

“Hershel?” she called again.

She climbed the stairs, looking around, but couldn’t find any sign of him anywhere in the hallway.

He wasn’t in the bathroom.

Nor was he napping on their bed.

His shoes were still neatly positioned beside the wardrobe. Another indication that he hadn’t gone out. She kicked hers off and set them next to his before proceeding back out into the hallway and down the stairs.

He’d promised her that he’d wait for her to come home. He _wouldn’t_ just wander off somewhere before she arrived, and he wasn’t the type to hide away and jump out to scare her.

Just in case, she checked the airing cupboard under the stairs.

Nope, he wasn’t in there.

Still confused, Claire walked into their living room.

And then she wondered why on earth she hadn’t thought to check there earlier.

Because there he was. Stretched out on the sofa, one hand under his head and another on his belly, not moving at all save for a heavy sigh through his nose. His cute little red hat was haphazardly laid over one of his eyes, obviously knocked off from how he’d laid down.

Silly man, Claire thought. He’d only gone and fallen asleep while waiting for her.

No, that wasn’t fair. Of course he would’ve fallen asleep sooner or later. After a delay of over two hours waiting for her to come back, she honestly would have been surprised if he _didn’t_ get tired of that waiting and go to bed.

But it seemed like he’d tried to wait for her anyway.

And tiredness had gotten the better of him.

Claire couldn’t be surprised. He’d been working so hard lately, what with his fears that he may not get the job at Gressenheller like he’d wanted. With how much he’d been working himself up…

She took his hat off his face. Yep, he was well and truly zonked out. She smiled as she gently stroked his wonderfully soft hair away from his closed eyes.

“What am I going to do with you?” she muttered.

Goodness, he looked so _comfortable._

Careful to disturb him as little as possible, Claire sat down right on the very edge of the sofa, and she stroked his smooth cheek with the back of her hand.

Handsome, intelligent, kind, faithful, patient…

How in the world did she get so lucky? You didn’t find a man like _this_ every century.

With another sigh through his nose, Hershel shuffled in his sleep, pulling his hand out from under his head and lowering it off the side of the sofa.

Claire was amazed that he could be so relaxed in a situation like this.

She’d heard him comment about it on at least one occasion, but it was true: Hershel Layton really _could_ sleep in any location or situation.

And he looked so soft and cozy…

Experience had told her that he was a very heavy sleeper. Surely he wouldn’t wake up if she were to…

As gently as she could, she laid down over his body, wrapping her arms around his torso and slipping her legs down between his and the sofa cushions. Resting like that, with her head on his chest, was _exactly_ as comfy as she’d expected it would be. His body was so, _so_ warm. He was like an electric blanket that could hug you back.

She nestled down against his body and revelled in her wonderful boyfriend.

* * *

As if it was the most difficult thing he had ever attempted, Hershel dragged himself out of the depths of sleep and back into the fresh air of consciousness.

It took him a moment to recognise not only his surroundings, but the surface he was lying on. Judging by the pressure against his feet and the top of his head, not to mention the cushy sensation under his body, he was lying on the sofa in their living room.

He couldn’t quite remember when he’d fallen asleep, but the sun had set since then. He could only see his location by the light of the streetlamps outside, but they illuminated the room well thanks to the undrawn curtains.

Something heavy was laid across his body, pinning him down to the sofa.

Heart pounding, Hershel reached for his chest, where he felt something soft, like long fur. Hair. Wrapped around the shape of something round. A person’s head. There was a _person_ lying on top of him.

From the light outside the window, he could just about make out that the hair was a deep and vibrant shade of red.

Ah. So _that_ was it.

He’d fallen asleep while waiting for her, she’d come home and found him here, and she’d decided she was going to cuddle with him.

But then she’d only gone and fallen asleep herself, hadn’t she?

“You fool,” he sighed quietly. “What am I going to do with you?”

He cradled Claire’s sleeping form against his chest as he sat up, slipped his other arm under her legs, and stood up as carefully as he could, holding her in his arms.

Her glasses had been knocked askew. Her hair was all mussed up on one side from where she’d been sleeping.

Good lord, she was _adorable._

Hershel realised he’d have to hurry upstairs as quickly as he could. It was either that or he’d drop her and hurt her in his breakdown into tears over how unbelievably precious she was, how smart and sweet and lovely and _perfect_ this person who had wandered into his life really was…

He eased her head closer to his face and kissed her forehead.

She sighed, smiling in her sleep, and nuzzled her head into his chest.

Time to get upstairs right now. She was just _too cute._

Hershel walked as lightly as he could – it was difficult while carrying a person – up the stairs and through the open door of their bedroom. Leaning against the wall, he nudged the duvet aside with his foot and gently lowered her onto the mattress, and pulled her glasses off once she was safely in position.

Claire sighed again and rested her hand beside her head on the pillow.

So peaceful…

After resting her glasses on her nightstand, her lovestruck boyfriend tiptoed to the window and pulled the curtains closed, and he didn’t even bother undressing before he climbed into bed beside her and made himself comfortable.

What was the point in undressing? Solidarity in reckless sleeping, Hershel decided.

He pulled the duvet up over his shoulder, making sure that both he and Claire were comfortably covered, and it only took a matter of moments before he was safely sleeping again.


End file.
